The invention in this case relates to a novel Soller slit X-ray collimator and to the method of manufacturing such a collimator. An X-ray analytic instrument employed for the characterization of materials such as diffracted beam monochromators and X-ray spectrometers it is desirable that the incident and exiting beams be collimated to parallel beams in order to minimize axial divergence. In powder diffractometers reducing axial divergence of the beams, improves the resolution and precision of the angular measurements and eliminates smearing aberrations.
In X-ray spectrometers fine collimation of the incident beams is necessary to improve sensitivity of measurements.
In other X-ray instruments such as X-ray diagnostic apparatus such as is used in computer assisted tomography fine collimation acts to eliminate image blurring.
Collimation is frequently achieved by use of Soller slit collimators.
The use of these collimators is well documented and is described for example in M. P. Klug and L. E. Alexander, X-ray Diffraction Procedures, New York, John Wiley & Sons, 1954, pages 241, 242, 251-253 and 275-277; Brandt et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,902, Wolfel U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,122; Jenkins U.S. Pat. No. 4,322,618 and Kusumoto et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,284,887.
A Soller slit collimator that is frequently used comprises a stack of thin blades parallel positioned, separated by narrower spaces and clamped together into housing assembly. The blades are formed of foils of materials absorbent of the X-rays being employed.
This type of collimator is quite expensive as it requires a large amount of hand assembly. Further the thinness of the blades and the narrowness of the spaces between the blades, and thus the fineness of the collimation is limited in these collimators by the fact that foil blades tend to warp when clamped into the assembly housing particularly as they become thinner. Thus, in order to improve the fineness of the collimation, it is necessary that such collimators by made longer. However, it is frequently desirable that the collimator be as short as possible.